> [[at-sl-17|← B1 Ch. IV]] | [[at-spiritual-life-toc|TOC]] | [[at-sl-19|Book II →]] # Chapter V. The Struggle Against Temptation 900\. Notwithstanding the efforts we put forth to eradicate vice, we must expect temptations. We have spiritual foes, the world, the flesh, and the devil, n. 193-227, which cease not to lay snares for us. It is necessary, therefore, to treat here of temptation in general and of the chief temptations of beginners. ## Art. I. Temptation in General[1] 901\. Temptation is a solicitation to evil on the part of our spiritual foes. We shall explain: 1° The providential purposes of temptation. 2° The psychology of temptation. 3° The attitude we must take towards temptation. I. The Providential Purposes of Temptation 902\. God Himself does not tempt us directly: “Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils: and he tempteth no man.”[2] But He allows us to be tempted by our spiritual enemies, at the same time giving us the graces necessary to resist: “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able: but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it”[1] And this for excellent reasons of His own. 1° He wants to make us merit heaven. Undoubtedly He could have bestowed upon us eternal life as a pure gift, but in His wisdom He has willed that we merit it as a reward. He even wills that the recompense be in proportion to the merit and hence in proportion to the obstacle overcome. Temptation, which imperils our frail virtue, is certainly one of the most trying hardships; to struggle courageously against it is one of the most meritorious acts we can perform; and once we have triumphed with God’s grace, we can repeat with St. Paul,[2] that we have fought the good fight, and that it only remains for us to receive the crown of justice which God has prepared for us. The more we have done in order to merit that crown, the greater shall be our honor and our joy. 903\. 2° Temptation is likewise a means of purification. 1) It reminds us that through lack of vigilance and of effort in the past we have fallen, and it becomes thus an occasion for new acts of contrition, shame, and humiliation, which make for the purification of the soul. 2) It obliges us at the same time to put forth earnest and sustained efforts lest we fall; it makes us atone for our negligences and for our surrenders by the performance of contrary acts which further purify the soul. This is why when God wants to purify a soul more perfectly in order to raise it to contemplation, He allows it to undergo horrible temptations, as we shall see when treating of the unitive way. 904\. 3° Lastly, temptation is an instrument of spiritual progress. a) It is like a stripe of the lash that awakens us at the moment we would lull ourselves to sleep and relax. It makes us realize the necessity of forging ahead, of not halting midway, but of ever aiming higher, the more surely to remove the danger. b) It is a school of humility, of distrust of self. When tempted we realize more fully our weakness, our powerlessness; we feel more keenly the need of grace, and we pray with greater earnestness. We see all the better the necessity of mortifying in us the love of pleasure, the source of our temptations, and we embrace more eagerly the little crosses of every day in order to weaken the power of concupiscence. c) It is a school of love of God; for to insure our power of resistance, we throw ourselves into God’s arms there to seek for strength and shelter; we are more grateful to Him for His unfailing grace; we act towards Him as children of a most loving Father to Whom we have recourse in all our trials. Hence, temptation possesses manifold advantages and it is on this account that God allows His friends to be tempted: “Because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove you.”[1] II\. The Psychology of Temptation We shall describe: 1° The frequency of temptation. 2° The divers phases of temptation. 3° The signs and degrees of consent. 905\. 1° The Frequency of Temptation. The frequency as well as the violence of temptations vary greatly. Some persons are often and violently tempted; others are tempted but rarely and without being deeply stirred. There are many causes that account for such diversity: a) First of all, there are temperament and character. Some persons are extremely passionate and at the same time weak of will; often tempted, they are upset by temptation. Others are well-balanced and energetic; seldom tempted, they keep their peace in the midst of temptation. b) Education accounts for other differences: there are souls who have been reared in the fear and love of God, in the habitual fulfilment of stern duty, and who have almost invariably received none but good example. Others have been brought up in the love of pleasure, in the dread of any kind of suffering, and have seen too many examples of worldliness and sensuality. It is evident that the latter will be more violently tempted than the former. c) God’s providential designs must also be taken into account. There are souls whom He destines for a holy calling and whose purity He shelters with a jealous care. There are others whom He likewise destines to sanctity, but whom He would have pass through severe tests in order to ground them in virtue. Lastly, others there are whom He does not destine to such a high vocation, and who will be more or less frequently tempted, but never beyond their strength. 906\. 2° The Three Phases of Temptation. According to the traditional doctrine, as expounded by St. Augustine, there are three different phases in temptation: suggestion, pleasure and consent. a) Suggestion consists in the proposal of some evil. Our imagination or our mind represent to us in a more or less vivid manner the attraction of the forbidden fruit; at times this representation is most alluring, holds its ground tenaciously and becomes a sort of obsession. No matter how dangerous such a suggestion may be, it does not constitute a sin, provided that we have not provoked it ourselves, and do not consent to it. There is sin only when the will yields consent. b) Pleasure follows the suggestion. Instinctively our lower tendencies are drawn towards the suggested evil and a certain pleasure is experienced. “Many a time it happens,” says St. Francis de Sales[1] “that the inferior part of the soul takes pleasure in the temptation, without there having been consent, nay against the soul’s superior part. This is the warfare which the Apostle St. Paul describes when he says his flesh wars against his spirit.” This pleasure does not, as long as the will refuses to consent to it, constitute a sin; yet it is a danger, since the will finds itself thus solicited to yield consent. The question then is: will it yield or not? c) If the will witholds acquiescence, combats the temptation, and repels it, it has scored a success and performed a highly meritorious act. If, on the contrary, the will delights in the pleasure, willingly enjoys it and consents to it, the sin is committed. 907\. 3° Signs of Consent. The better to explain this important point, let us see what are the signs of lack of consent, imperfect consent, and perfect consent. a) We may judge that there has been no consent, if in spite of the suggestion and the instinctive pleasure accompanying it, we experience disgust, chagrin at seeing ourselves thus tempted; if we struggle so as not to be overcome; if we hold the proposed evil in horror;[2] especially if we turn to God in prayer. b) We may be culpably accountable for the temptation in its cause, when we perform an action which we could avoid, foreseeing that it will be to us a source of temptation: “If I know,” says St. Francis de Sales[1] “that some certain conversation leads me to temptation and to a fall, and I do voluntarily indulge therein, I am, doubtless, culpable of all the temptations that shall arise.” Yet, one is guilty only to the extent of one’s prevision, and if this is but vague and indistinct, the guilt is lessened in proportion. 908\. c) One may consider consent to be imperfect: 1\) When one does not repulse the temptation as soon as its dangerous character is perceived.[2] There is then a fault against prudence, which without being grave puts us in the danger of consenting to the temptation. 2\) When one momentarily hesitates. One would fain relish somewhat the forbidden pleasure, but one is loath to offend God, that is, after a moment’s hesitation, one repels the temptation. Here again there is a venial fault of imprudence. 3\) If temptation is resisted in a half-hearted way. One does resist, but in a feeble, indolent manner, a half-resistance which implies a half-consent, hence a venial fault. 909\. d) Consent is full and entire, when the will, weakened by first concessions, lets itself be drawn to taste willingly the sinful pleasure, despite the protests of conscience, which recognizes the evil. In such case, if the matter be grievous, the sin is mortal; it is a sin of thought or “morose delectation,” as theologians call it. If to the thought is added desire, the fault is graver still. Lastly, if from desire one passes on to the act, or at least to the quest and pursuit of means adapted to the execution of one’s designs, then there is a sin of action. 910\. In the different cases we have explained, doubts arise at times regarding the consent or half-consent given. Then we must make a distinction between the delicate and the lax conscience; when it is question of the former, one may rule out consent, for the person is not in the habit of yielding consent, and if he had consented in this particular case he would know it. When it is question of the latter, the presumption is that the person has given full consent, for if he had not, his soul would not be troubled. III\. Our Attitude Towards Temptation There are three main things to be done, if we are to overcome temptations and make them redound to our profit: 1° we must forestall temptation; 2° fight it strenuously; 3° thank God after victory or rise up after a fall. 911\. 1° Forestall temptation. We know the proverb that says: One ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; this is but what Christian wisdom teaches. When Our Lord took the three Apostles into Gethsemane, He said to them: “Watch ye: and pray that ye enter not into temptation.”[1] Watchfulness and prayer are the two great means of forestalling temptation. 912\. A) To watch means to put a sentry, as it were, about the soul; lest it be taken by surprise. It is so easy to fall in an unguarded moment! This watchfulness implies two main dispositions: distrust of self and trust in God. a) We must avoid that proud presumption that thrusts us into the midst of dangers, under the pretence that we are possessed of sufficient strength to triumph over them. This was the sin of St. Peter, who at the moment Christ was prophesying the desertion of the Apostles exclaimed: “Although all shall be scandalized in thee, yet not I.”[2] Let us, on the contrary, be mindful of the words of St. Paul: “Wherefore, he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall,”[3] for if the spirit be willing, the flesh is weak, and safety lies only in the humble mistrust of self. b) But, we must likewise avoid those vain terrors which only increase the danger. It is indeed true that of ourselves we are weak, but we are invincible in Him Who strengthens us: “And God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able: but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it.”[4] c) This proper mistrust of self makes us shun all dangerous occasions, this or that association, such or such amusement, etc…. which we know by experience expose us to fall. It declares war against idleness, one of the most dangerous of occasions, n. 885, as well as against that habitual indolence which relaxes all the springs of the will, and prepares it for every kind of surrender.[1] This mistrust holds in horror those empty day dreams, which people the soul with a host of living phantoms that become threatening ere long. In a word, such mistrust leads to the practice of mortification, under the forms pointed out in nos. 767-817, the compliance with our duties of state, the leading of an interior life, and the exercise of zeal. In such an intense spiritual life there is but little room left for temptation. d) Vigilance should center round the soul’s weak point, since the onslaughts generally proceed from that side. In order to fortify this weak spot, we make use of the particular examination, which concentrates our attention during an appreciable length of time upon this defect, or rather upon the contrary virtue, (n. 468.) 913\. B) To watchfulness we must join prayer, which, placing God on our side, renders us invincible. God is concerned in our success, for it is He Whom the devil assails in us, it is His work which he would wreck in us. We may, therefore, call upon the Almighty with a holy assurance, certain that He wants to help us. Any kind of prayer vocal or mental, private or public, prayer of adoration or prayer of petition, is good against temptation. One may, especially in times of calm, pray for help in the moment of temptation. When this moment does arrive, one has but to raise the heart to God in order to resist more successfully. 914\. 2° Resisting Temptation. This resistance will vary according to the nature of the temptations. Some of these recur frequently, but are less serious; these must be treated with scorn, as St. Francis de Sales[2] so well explains: “As to these smaller temptations of vanity, suspicion, impatience, jealousy, envy, fond love, and such like trash, which like flies and gnats continually hover about us, and sometimes sting us on the legs, the hands or the face; as it is impossible to be altogether freed from them, the best defence that we can make is not to give ourselves much trouble about them; for although they may tease us, yet they can never hurt us, so long as we continue firmly resolved to serve God earnestly. Despise then these petty attacks, without so much as thinking of what they suggest. Let them buzz and hover here and there around you; pay no more attention to them than you would to flies.” Here we concern ourselves chiefly with serious temptations. These must be fought promptly, energetically, perseveringly and humbly. A) Promptly, without parleying with the enemy, without any hesitation. At the outset the temptation is repelled easily enough, for it has not yet gained a foothold in the soul; if we wait until it has gained entry, the repulse will prove far more difficult. Hence, let there be no debate. Let us associate the idea of illicit pleasure with all that is repelling, with the serpent, with a traitor that wishes to ensnare us, and let us remember the word of Holy Writ: “Flee from sins as from the face of a serpent: for if thou comest near them they will take hold of thee.”[1] We effect this flight by prayer and by turning our minds to something else. 915\. B) Energetically, not indolently and with regret, for this would be like inviting the temptation to return, but with determination and vigor, showing the horror in which such a proposal is held: “Go behind me, Satan.”[2] There are, however, different tactics to be employed, according to the kind of temptations that assail us: if it is question of those temptations to alluring pleasures, we must turn away from them and take to flight by concentrating our attention on any other matter calculated to engage our faculties. Direct resistance in such instances generally increases the danger. If it be question of temptations of aversion towards duty, of antipathy, hatred, human respect, the better course often lies in facing the difficulty squarely and honestly, and in having recourse to the principles of Christian faith in order to overcome it. 916\. C) Perseveringly, for at times after having been routed, temptation returns with renewed obstinacy, and the devil brings with him from the desert seven other spirits worse than himself.[3] Equal tenacity, and not less, must be matched against this persistence of the enemies of our soul; he that fights unto the end, overcomes. To be all the more assured of victory we should make the temptation known to our spiritual director. This is the advice given by the Saints, especially St. Ignatius and St. Francis de Sales: “For you must observe,” says the latter, “that the first condition that the enemy of salvation makes with a soul which he desires to seduce, is to keep silence; as those who intend to seduce maids or married women, at the very first forbid them to communicate their proposals to their parents or husbands; whereas God requires, when he sends inspirations, that we should make them known to our superiors and directors.”[1] In truth, it seems as if a special grace were attached to this openness of heart. A temptation disclosed is a temptation half-vanquished. 917\. D) Humbly. Humility attracts grace, and grace gives us the victory. The devil who sinned by pride, flees before a sincere act of humility; and the threefold concupiscence, that holds its power from pride, is easily overcome when by humility we have, so to speak, laid its head low. 918\. 3° After temptation we must be on our guard against examining too closely whether we consented or not; such an imprudent course might bring about a recurrence of the temptation and create a new danger. Besides, it is easy to see from the testimony of our conscience, without any probing search, whether we came out victorious. A) If we have had the good fortune of overcoming, let us thank God with our whole heart, God Who gave us the victory. This is a duty of gratitude, and the best means of obtaining new graces at the opportune moment. Woe to the ungrateful who, attributing to themselves the victorious issue, do not think of returning thanks to God! They will ere long be made to know from experience their own weakness. 919\. B) If, on the contrary, we have had the misfortune of succumbing; let us not lose heart Let us remember the welcome accorded the Prodigal Son, and let us, even as he did, cast ourselves at the feet of God’s representative, with the same heartfelt plea: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee: I am not worthy to be called thy son.”[2] And God, still richer in His mercies than the father in the parable, will give us the kiss of peace and restore us to His friendship. In order, however, to prevent new falls, the repentant sinner will take the occasion of his fault to humble himself sincerely before God, to acknowledge his incapacity to do any good, to place his trust in God, to be all the more cautious, and return to the practice of penance. A fault thus repaired will not constitute a serious obstacle to perfection.[3] Those who act thus, “rise,” as St. Augustine rightly remarks, “from a fall to be more humble, more prudent, more earnest.”[1] ## Art. II. The Chief Temptations of Beginners Beginners are subject to all kinds of temptations, springing from the sources we have indicated. There are some, however, that seem to be peculiar to them: 1° illusions, proceeding from consolations and from aridity; 2° inconstancy; 3° over-eagerness; 4° at times, scruples. ### § I. Illusions of Beginners with Regard to Consolations[2] 920\. God generally bestows sensible consolations on beginners in order to draw them to His service; He then deprives them of these in order to test and to strengthen their virtue. There are some persons who because they enjoy many consolations think they have already attained to a certain degree of sanctity; if the consolations happen to vanish and spiritual dryness or aridity takes their place they think themselves lost. It is, therefore, important in order that they may forestall both presumption and discouragement, that the true doctrine concerning consolations and aridity be explained to them. I. Consolations 921\. 1° Nature and Origin of Consolations. a) Sensible consolations are tender emotions that affect our sensibility and cause us to experience a feeling of spiritual joy. The heart expands and throbs with more energy, the circulation of the blood is accelerated, the features beam, and at times tears of joy flow. Sensible consolations differ from the spiritual consolations generally granted to more advanced souls: the latter are consolations of a higher order, acting upon the intellect by enlightening it, and upon the will by drawing it to prayer and to the practice of virtue. However, these two kinds of consolations often intermingle, and what we are about to say can in some measure be applied to both. b) These consolations may proceed from three sources: 1\) From God, Who acts towards us as a mother towards her child and attracts us to Himself by means of the sweetness He makes us find in serving Him, in order to wean us away more easily from the false pleasures of the world. 2\) From the devil, who acting upon the nervous system, upon the imagination and upon the feelings, is able to produce certain sensible emotions which he will later use to urge us on to ill-considered austerities, to vanity and to presumption soon to be followed by discouragement. 3\) From our nature. There are imaginative, emotional, sanguine temperaments, which, while they apply themselves to piety, naturally find therein food for their emotions. 922\. 2° Advantages of consolations. Consolations, assuredly, have their advantages: a) They facilitate the knowledge of God: the imagination helped by grace, delights in representing the lovableness of God, and the heart rejoices in it. Then one loves to pray, to meditate at length, and the soul realizes better the goodness of God. b) Consolations contribute to the strengthening of the will, which, finding the lower faculties to be no longer hindrances, but valuable helps, detaches itself all the more easily from creatures; it loves God more ardently, forms more vigorous resolutions, and keeps these more easily because of the aid obtained through prayer. Loving God with a sensible affection, the will courageously endures the little sacrifices of every-day life, and even undertakes on its own initiative certain mortifications. c) Consolations help us to form habits of recollection, of prayer, of obedience, of love of God, which remain in some measure even after the consolations themselves have disappeared. 923\. 3° Dangers. Withal, these consolations have also their dangers: a) They excite a sort of spiritual greed, which makes us cling rather to the consolations of God than to the God of consolations, so much so that when spiritual comforts vanish, spiritual exercises and duties of state are neglected. Even whilst we enjoy these consolations, our devotion is far from being solid, for while we shed tears over Our Lord’s sufferings, we refuse to sacrifice for Him this or that sentimental friendship or to undergo for His sake such or such privation. But solid virtue exists only when our love for God is carried as far as sacrifice, n. 321. “There are many souls who experience these tendernesses and consolations, and who, nevertheless, are very vicious, and consequently, have not a true love of God, much less true devotion.”[1] b) These consolations often foster pride under one form or the other. 1) Vain self-complacency; for when we enjoy consolations, and prayer becomes easy, we readily believe ourselves to be saints, whilst in truth we are but novices in the ways of perfection. 2) Vanity: we wish to speak of these consolations to others in order to make known our worth; and in such cases God often withdraws them for a notable period of time. 3) Presumption: we think ourselves invincible and at times expose ourselves to danger, or at least, we begin to relax, when we ought to redouble our efforts and forge ahead. 924\. 4° Our Attitude towards Consolations. In order to profit by divine consolations and escape the pitfalls we have pointed out, the following rules are to be observed: a) We may wish for such comforts conditionally with the intention of using them in order to love God and to fulfil His holy will. Thus the Church has us ask for the grace of consolation in the Collect of Pentecost: “That we may ever enjoy His consolation.” Consolations are a gift of God the purpose of which is to aid us in the work of our sanctification. We must, therefore, hold them dear, and we may well ask for them provided we submit ourselves to the holy will of God. b) When such consolations have been granted us, let us receive them with gratitude and with humility, acknowledging ourselves unworthy of them and attributing all the merit to God. If He does vouchsafe to deal with us as with little children, let us bless Him for it; but let us also recognize that we are as yet far from perfect, since we stand in need of the milk of children: “Who need milk and not solid food.”[2] Above all, let us not boast of them, for this would be the surest and quickest way of losing them. c) Having received them with a humble heart, let us employ them with the utmost care according to the purposes of the Giver. He gives them to us, says St. Francis de Sales, “to make us sweet towards every one and excite us to love Him. The mother gives little presents to her child to induce him to embrace her; let us then embrace our blessed Savior Who grants us favors. But to embrace Him is to obey Him, to keep His commandments, do His will, and follow His desires with a tender obedience and humility.”[1] d) Lastly, we must realize that these consolations will not last forever, and we must humbly beg of God the grace to serve Him in dryness of soul, when it will so please Him. In the meantime, instead of trying to prolong these consolations by our own mental efforts, we must moderate them and cling steadfastly to the God of all consolations. II\. Aridity In order to strengthen us in virtue, God visits us from time to time with aridity. We shall explain: 1° the nature of aridity; 2° its providential purpose; 3° our attitude towards it. 925\. 1° Nature of Aridity. Aridity is a privation of those sensible and spiritual consolations which make prayer and the practice of virtue easy. In spite of oft-renewed efforts one no longer relishes prayer; one even experiences a sense of weariness; one finds prayer irksome and the time given to it endless; faith and trust seem dormant; once alert and joyous, one lives now in a sort of torpor and acts only by sheer force of will. This is, indeed, a most painful condition, but one not devoid of advantages. 926\. 2° Providential purpose of Aridity. a) When God sees fit to visit us with aridity, it is in order to detach us from all created things, even from the happiness derived from devotion, that we may learn to love God for His sake alone. b) He wants likewise to humble us, by showing us that consolations are not our right, but entirely free gifts. c) God thereby also effects a further purification of the soul from past faults, present attachments and all manner of self-seeking. When we have to serve God without any relish, on principle and by sheer will-power, we suffer keenly, and our suffering becomes an act of expiation and atonement. d) Lastly, God thus strengthens us in virtue, for in order to persevere in prayer and in well-doing the will must be energetically and steadily exercised, and it is by such exercise that we are grounded in virtue. 927\. 3° Our Attitude towards Aridity. a) Since dryness at times proceeds from our faults, we must first of all carefully search ourselves, yet without over-anxiety, in order to see if we are not the responsible cause 1) by reason of our tendencies, more or less consented to, towards self-complacency and pride; 2) by a sort of spiritual sloth, or, on the other hand, by an untimely and excessive straining of the mind; 3) by seeking after human consolations, after personal attachments that are too sentimental, after worldly pleasures; for God will not have a divided heart; 4) by a want of frankness towards our spiritual director: “For, since you try to deceive the Holy Ghost” says St. Francis de Sales, “it is no wonder that He withholds from you His consolations.”[1] Once the cause of aridity is discovered one must with due humility strive to remove it. 928\. If we are not responsible for this aridity, it is important that we should draw profit from the ordeal. 1) The great means is to convince ourselves that it is more meritorious to serve God in the absence of attraction and warm emotions than in the midst of many consolations; that in order to love God it is enough to will to love Him, and besides, that the most perfect act of love consists in having our will conform to that of God. 2) In order to render such an act still more meritorious we can do no better than to unite ourselves to Jesus, Who in the Garden of Gethsemane consented to experience sadness and weariness of soul out of love for us, and to repeat after Him: “Not my will, but thine be done.”[2] 3) Above all, we must never lose heart, nor subtract anything from our exercises of piety, from our efforts, from our good resolutions; but rather imitate Our Lord, Who “being in an agony, prayed the longer.”[3] 929\. Advice for the spiritual Director. In order that penitents may thoroughly understand these practical lessons regarding consolations and aridity, spiritual directors should frequently insist on them, for penitents are often persuaded that they are better off when things go according to their wishes than when they go against the grain. Gradually, however, they are enlightened, and once they have learnt not to exalt themselves in their own eyes in time of consolation and not to be discouraged during periods of dryness, they make progress more rapidly and more steadily. ### § II. Inconstancy of Beginners 930\. 1° The Evil. When a soul gives itself to God and begins to advance in the spiritual life, it is sustained by divine grace, by the attractiveness of the novelty and by a certain urge towards virtue, which removes many an obstacle. A moment arrives, however, when God’s grace is given in a less sensible manner, when the soul grows weary of essaying again the self-same efforts, which seem to be thwarted by the self-same difficulties. It is then that the soul is liable to relax and falter. This tendency to inconstancy and tepidity shows itself 1) in our spiritual exercises, which we now perform with less attention, which we shorten or omit; 2) in the practice of virtue: we entered full-heartedly into the ways of penance and mortification, but now we find this hard and irksome and we relax our efforts; 3) in the habitual sanctification of our actions: we had been accustomed to renew frequently the offering of our actions, in order to insure the purity of our intention; now we find this practice fatiguing, we neglect it with the result that soon many of our actions are inspired by routine, curiosity, vanity, sensuality. It is impossible to make progress with dispositions such as these, for we arrive nowhere without a sustained effort. 931\. 2° The Remedy. A) We must realize that the work of perfection is a work of long endurance, demanding much steadiness of purpose, and that only those succeed who despite partial setbacks return again and again with fresh energies to the task. This is just what men do to succeed in business, and this is what must be done by anyone who wants to advance in holiness. Each morning we must ask again the question whether we cannot do more, and especially whether we can not do better for God; and every evening we must examine to see if we have carried out, at least in part, our program for the day. B) Nothing insures constancy so well as the particular examination, n. 468. By concentrating our attention upon one objective, one virtue, and by rendering to our confessor an account of the progress made, we are certain to advance, even though we may not be aware of the fact. What we have said regarding the training of the will, n. 812, is likewise a very apt means to overcome inconstancy. ### § III. Over-eagerness of Beginners Not a few beginners, full of good will, apply themselves too eagerly and too anxiously to the work of their perfection and end by fatiguing and exhausting themselves in futile efforts. 932\. 1° The Causes. a) The chief cause of this defect is the substitution of one’s own activity for that of God. Instead of reflecting before acting, of asking light from the Holy Ghost and following it, such beginners thrust themselves headlong into action. Instead of taking counsel with their spiritual director, they act first, and afterwards confront him with the accomplished fact. Hence, numerous imprudences and many wasted efforts. b) Often presumption enters into the case. They would like to emerge hastily from the discipline of penance and promptly arrive at the desired union with God. But alas! many an unforeseen obstacle appears; they then lose heart, retrace their steps and at times fall into grievous faults. c) At other times, it is curiosity which predominates. They seek continually new means of perfection, try them a while and soon discard them before giving them a chance to produce their effects. They continually plan new projects of reform for themselves and for others and forget to carry them out. The net result of such over-exertion is the loss of interior recollection; it is excitement and trouble without any solid gain. 933\. 2° The Remedies. a) The chief remedies are submission to and entire dependence upon the action of God, mature reflection before acting, prayer to obtain divine light, consultation with and docility towards a spiritual director. Just as in the workings of nature it is not violent force that yields the best results, but rather well controlled energy, so in the spiritual life it is not feverish efforts that make for progress, but calm and well-directed ones. b) But if beginners are to submit themselves to the action of God, they must combat the causes that produce such over-eagerness; they must fight 1) a natural vivacity of character that inclines to hasty decisions; 2) a presumption that arises from too high an esteem of self; 3) curiosity that is forever in search of novelties. They should, therefore, direct their attacks successively against these defects by means of the particular examination, and then God will take once more His rightful place in their souls and lead them calmly and sweetly along the paths of perfection. ### § IV. Scruples[1] 934\. Scruples are a disease, physical and moral, which produces a sort of derangement of conscience, and causes one to harbor vain fears of having offended God. This disease is not restricted to beginners; still, it is found in them as well as in the more advanced souls. Hence, we must say a word about them and explain: 1° the nature, 2° the object, 3° the disadvantages and advantages of scruples, and 4° the remedies against them. 1\. Nature of Scruples 935\. The term scruple (from the Latin scrupulus, pebble) was employed for ages past to designate a weight under which only the most sensitive scales would tilt. In the moral sense, it stands for some trifle which only the most delicate conscience would notice. Hence, this word has come to be commonly used to designate the anxiety about having offended God which certain souls feel for little or no reason. The better to know the nature of scruples we shall explain their origin and degrees, as well as the distinction between a scrupulous and a delicate conscience. 936\. 1° Origin. Scruples arise sometimes from purely natural causes and sometimes they are due to supernatural intervention. a) From a natural point of view, scruples are often a physical and moral disease. 1) The physical ailment which brings about this disorder is a sort of nervous depression, which hinders a well-balanced decision on moral questions and tends to produce without solid reasons the obsessing idea that one has sinned. 2) There are also moral causes which produce the same effect, such as a meticulous mind, a mind that loses itself amid the most trifling details, that wants to reach absolute certitude in all things; a beclouded mind, that represents God not as a just judge, but as a merciless one; a mind that confuses feeling with consent in human acts, and imagines, that because the imagination has been for long alive to vivid impressions, sin has been committed; an obstinate mind, that prefers its own judgment to that of the confessor for the very reason that it lets itself be led by impressions rather than by reason. When these two causes, physical and moral, are present, the evil is more deeply rooted and the cure is more difficult. 937\. b) Scruples can also arise from a preternatural intervention on the part of God or of the devil. 1\) God allows us to be thus obsessed either as a punishment, chiefly of our pride, of our inclinations to vain complacency, or as a trial, to make us expiate our past faults, to detach us from spiritual consolations, and bring us to a higher degree of sanctity. This is the case especially with the souls whom He wants to fit for contemplation, as we shall explain when treating of the unitive way. 2\) The devil also at times injects his activity into the morbid predisposition of our nervous system in order to create a turmoil in our souls. He persuades us that we are in the state of mortal sin in order to hinder us from receiving Holy Communion, or to hamper us in the discharge of our duties of state; above all, he strives to deceive us as to the gravity of some act or other in order to make us sin, because of a false conscience, even when there is no matter for sin and much less for grievous sin. 938\. 2° Degrees. Evidently there are many degrees in scruples. a) At the outset it is simply question of a meticulous conscience, extremely fearful, which sees sin where sin does not exist; b) then it is a matter of transient scruples which one submits to the judgment of one’s spiritual director, accepting forthwith his decision; c) lastly, it is a case of scruples properly so called, tenacious and obstinate. 939\. 3° Distinction between a Scrupulous and a Delicate Conscience. a) Their genesis or starting-point is not the same. The delicate conscience loves God ardently and, in order to please Him, wants to avoid the least fault, the slightest wilful imperfection. The scrupulous conscience is led on by a certain egotism which causes an inordinate eagerness for absolute certainty of one’s state of grace. b) The delicate conscience, possessed of a horror of sin and knowing its own feebleness, has a rational, yet quiet fear of displeasing God; the scrupulous conscience harbors vain fears of sinning in every circumstance. C) The tender conscience knows how to discriminate between mortal and venial sin, and, in case of doubt, abides by the judgment of the spiritual director; the scrupulous conscience peevishly questions the decisions of the spiritual director and submits to them only with difficulty. Whilst scruples are a real evil to be carefully avoided, there is nothing more precious than a delicate conscience. II\. The Subject-matter of Scruples 940\. 1° Sometimes scruples are universal, bearing on all subjects. Before an action, they magnify beyond all proportion the dangers that may be encountered in this or that circumstance; after an action, they fill the soul with groundless anxieties and easily convince it of having sinned gravely. 941\. 2° More often scruples bear upon a number of particular subjects: a) Past confessions: even after having made several general confessions, one is not satisfied, one fears lest all has not been accused, or lest sorrow has been defective, and one wants always to begin all over again. b) Evil thoughts: the imagination is filled with dangerous or obscene thoughts, and since these make a certain impression, one fears one has given consent, nay one is sure of having consented, although one was quite displeased at them. c) Blasphemous thoughts: because such ideas cross the mind, one is persuaded of having acquiesced in spite of the horror one experiences. d) The virtue of charity: one has for instance, listened to conversations against the neighbor without protesting; one has, through human respect, neglected the duty of fraternal correction, one has scandalized the neighbor by indiscreet talk, or one has failed, upon witnessing a crowd congregate, to ascertain whether an accident had occurred where the ministrations of a priest might have been needed to give absolution to the dying; in all this, grievous sins are seen. e) The correct pronunciation and enunciation of the words of Consecration, the integral recitation of the Divine Office, etc…. III\. Disadvantages and Advantages of Scruples 942\. 1° When one has the misfortune of allowing oneself to be governed by scruples, baneful effects follow for body and soul: — a) Scruples gradually induce a weakening and a certain unbalancing of the nervous system. Fears and continual anguish exercise a depressing action on bodily health; they may even become a real obsession and bring about a species of monomania, bordering on insanity. b) Scruples becloud the mind and distort the judgment: little by little one loses the ability to discern between what is sin and what is not sin, what is grievous and what slight; and the soul becomes much like a ship without a rudder. c) Loss of true devotion is often the sequel. The strain of living in anxiety and vexation turns one into a terrible egotist, for whom everybody becomes an object of mistrust, even God, Whom one deems too severe. Complaints arise that He leaves one in that wretched state. Evidently, the heart is incapable then of any genuine devotion. d) Finally, come faults and even grave falls. 1) The scrupulous spend their strength in useless efforts over trifles, and retain but little energy to meet important issues, for the attention cannot be directed to bear with equal intensity upon the entire line of battle. Hence, surprises, faults, and at times even grievous sins. 2) Besides, they instinctively seek relief for their sorrows; but finding no solace in piety, they seek it elsewhere, in reading and in associations that are dangerous. This is sometimes the occasion of lamentable falls which throw them into a deep state of dejection. 943\. 2° On the other hand, if we know how to accept scruples as a trial, and to correct them gradually with the help of a wise spiritual director we derive from them priceless advantages. a) They serve to purify the soul. By being intent on avoiding the least sin and the least wilful imperfection, we acquire a great purity of heart. b) They lead us to the actual exercise of humility and obedience by obliging us to refer our doubts in all simplicity to our spiritual director, and to follow his counsel with entire submission not only of will, but of judgment. c) They contribute to increase the purity of our intentions by detaching us from spiritual comforts and by having us cling solely to God for Whom our love increases the more He puts us to the test. IV\. Remedies against Scruples 944\. Scruples must be attacked before they take deep root in the soul. Now the great remedy and indeed the only remedy is obedience, full and absolute obedience to an enlightened spiritual director. The light of conscience has become dim and we must seek enlightenment elsewhere. A scrupulous person is exactly like a ship without rudder or compass. The spiritual director, therefore, must win his confidence and must know how to wield authority over him if he is to effect a cure. 945\. 1° Before all else, it is necessary to gain his confidence; for we do not easily obey those whom we do not trust. This, however, is not always easily accomplished. True, the scrupulous soul instinctively feels the need of a guide, but some scrupulous persons do not dare abandon themselves entirely to the said guide; they want to consult, indeed, but also to discuss the reasons. Now, one must not enter into any discussion with the scrupulous, but speak to them with authority, telling them categorically what they must do. To inspire this confidence the spiritual director must merit it both by his competence and his devotedness. a) He will allow the penitent to speak first, limiting himself to a few remarks here and there to show that he has thoroughly understood. After that he will put a few questions to the penitent, to which the latter will answer yes or no, and thus the director will himself conduct the methodical examination of the penitent’s conscience. Then he will add: I understand your case, you suffer in this or that manner. To see that he has been well understood is already a great comfort to the penitent, and at times suffices to win his confidence. b) Devotedness must be joined to competence. The spiritual director should therefore show himself patient, listening quietly to the lengthy explanations of the penitent, at least at the beginning. He must be kind, taking an interest in that soul and expressing the desire and the hope of curing it. He must be gentle, refraining from taking a tone of severity or harshness, even when he is obliged to use the language of authority. Nothing wins confidence better than this union of kindness and firmness. 946\. 2° Once the spiritual director has gained the confidence of his penitent, he must exercise his authority and exact obedience, saying: If you want to be cured you must obey blindly; in obeying you are always safe, even if your spiritual director be mistaken, for God demands of you only one thing just now, and that is obedience. This is so true that if you think that you cannot obey me, you must seek another spiritual director. Blind obedience alone can cure you, and it will certainly do so. a) In giving his orders the spiritual director must be direct, clear and precise, avoiding any equivocation; he must be positive, speaking categorically, never conditionally; for instance, he will not say: If that disturbs your peace, do not do it; rather he will say: Do this, avoid that, spurn such temptation. b) Generally no reasons must be given for the decisions, especially at the beginning. Later on when the scrupulous penitent is capable of understanding them, and of feeling their weight, the director should briefly state these reasons in order to form his conscience little by little. But there must be no discussion of the decision itself. If there be any obstacles to prevent its immediate execution, they are to be taken into account, but the decision stands. c) The spiritual director must not reverse his judgments. Before giving a decision he considers it fully, and gives no orders that he cannot insist upon; but once an order has been given, it must not be revoked so long as there is no new fact requiring a change. d) To ascertain if the order has been clearly understood, penitents should be asked to restate it, and then it but remains to have them carry it out. This is difficult; but they must be plainly told that they must report on it, and that if they have failed to follow the advice given, they will not be listened to until they have complied. There will be ample opportunity, therefore, to repeat the same injunction many times. This is to be done without losing patience, but with increasing firmness, and in the end the scrupulous persons will yield obedience. 947\. 3° When the moment arrives, the spiritual director must inculcate the general principle that will enable scrupulous penitents to disregard all doubts and if need be, he will have them put this principle in writing in this or a similar form: I am in conscience bound to take only evidence into account, that is to say, a certitude that excludes all doubt, a certitude as clear as the one that tells me that two and two make four. I cannot, therefore, commit a sin either mortal or venial, unless I am absolutely certain that the action I am to perform is forbidden under pain of mortal or venial sin, and that fully aware of this fact, I will nevertheless to do it just the same. I will, therefore, pay no attention whatsoever to probabilities, no matter how strong they may be, I will hold myself bound solely by clear-cut and positive evidence. Barring such, there is no sin. When the penitent proceeds to accuse himself of having committed a venial or a mortal sin, the confessor must ask: Can you affirm under oath that before acting you saw clearly that this action was a sin and that seeing this you gave full consent? Such a question will give precision to the general principle laid down and will make it better understood. 948\. 4° Lastly, this general principle must be applied to the specific difficulties that arise. a) With regard to a general confession, after allowing it once, the confessor should permit no repetition except when there is certainty on these two points: 1) a mortal sin was committed, and 2) this sin has never been accused in any valid confession. As for the rest, after a certain lapse of time the spiritual director should declare that the past must not be touched upon under any circumstances and that, should some sin have been omitted, it has been already pardoned along with the others. b) With regard to interior sins, thoughts and desires, the following rule should be given: during the crisis, divert your attention by thinking of any other thing; after the crisis, do not examine yourself to see if you have sinned or not (this would bring back the temptation), but pursue the even tenor of your way by devoting yourself to your duties of state, and receive Holy Communion as long as there is no evidence that you have given full consent (n. 909). 949\. c) Communion is often a torture to the scrupulous. They fear lest they be not in the state of grace or be not fasting. Now, 1) the fear lest they be not in the state of grace proves that they are not certain of that fact; hence, they should after a sincere act of contrition approach the Sacrament of the Altar; this contrition together with Holy Communion will put them in the state of grace if they are not in it. 2) The Eucharistic fast must not prevent the scrupulous from receiving Holy Communion unless they are absolutely certain of having broken it. d) Confession for the scrupulous is a still greater torture, and therefore, it must be simplified for them. They should be told: 1) You are not bound to accuse any except mortal sins. 2) As to venial faults, make mention only of those that happen to come to your mind during your short examination of conscience, which should not exceed five minutes. 3) With regard to contrition, devote a little longer time to ask it of God and to excite yourself to it, and then you will have it. Should the penitent answer: “I do not feel sorry,” the confessor should reply that sorrow to be real need not be felt, since it is an act of the will which has nothing to do with feeling. In certain cases, when scruples are very intense, one must go further and prescribe to the penitent that he limit himself to this generic accusation: “I accuse myself of all the sins committed since my last confession and of all those of my past life, especially against this or that virtue.” 950\. 5° Replying to Difficulties. Sometimes a penitent will say to his confessor: You take me for scrupulous, whereas I am not. The confessor will answer: It is not for you but for your confessor to decide that. Are you absolutely sure that you are not scrupulous? Are you calm and at peace after making your confessions? Are you not troubled with such doubts and worries as most persons never experience? You are, therefore, not in a normal state; you are affected with some physical and moral disturbance, and therefore, need special treatment. Obey without argument, and you will be cured; otherwise your trouble will only be aggravated. By this and other like means one finally succeeds, with God’s grace, in curing this distressing malady of scruples. ## Appendix: The Discernment of Spirits [1] 951\. The different kinds of spirits that act in us. In the preceding pages we have spoken many times of diverse interior promptings that urge us to good or to evil. The importance of recognizing the source of these promptings is evident. In theory they may proceed from six different causes: a) from ourselves: from the spirit which urges us towards good, from the flesh that urges us towards evil. b) from the world, in so far as, through our senses, it exercises its influence over our interior faculties to draw them towards evil (n. 212). c) from the good angels, who inspire in us good thoughts. d) from the demons, who act upon our interior and exterior senses to prompt us to evil. e) from God Who alone can penetrate into the inmost recesses of the soul and Who never urges us but to what in good. 952\. In practice it suffices to know whether these promptings arise from a good or from an evil principle: from a good principle, God, the good angels or the spirit aided by grace; from an evil principle, the devil, the world or the flesh. The rules by which we can distinguish the one from the other are called rules for the discernment of spirits. St. Paul laid the foundations of these rules by distinguishing within man the flesh and the spirit, and outside of man, the Spirit of God that leads us to good, and the fallen angels that solicit us to evil. Since then, spiritual writers like Cassian, St. Bernard, St. Thomas, the author of the Imitation and St. Ignatius, have drawn up rules to ascertain the divers promptings of nature and of grace. 953\. Rules of St. Ignatius which apply especially to beginners. The first two rules refer to the different attitudes which the good and the evil spirits take with regard to sinners and to fervent souls. 1° First rule. To sinners who do not put any curb on their passions, the devil proposes pleasures and delights in order to hold them fast and immerse them deeper in vice; the good spirit, on the contrary, stirs their conscience with uneasiness and remorse in order to make them emerge from their sad plight. Second rule. When it is question of souls that have sincerely returned to God, the devil excites in them sadness, torments of conscience, and creates and all manner of difficulties in order to make them lose heart and halt their advance. The good spirit, on the contrary, inspires them with courage, energy and good thoughts to make them grow in virtue. By the fruits then will the tree be judged; whatever hinders progress comes from the evil one, whatever promotes it proceeds from God. 954\. 2° Third rule. This rule deals with spiritual consolations. These proceed from the good spirit: 1) when they arouse fervor, first a spark, then a flame, lastly a glowing fire of divine love; 2) when they cause tears that are a true expression of interior compunction or of love for Our Lord; 3) when they increase faith, hope and charity, and bring quiet and peace to the soul. 955\. 3° The following rules (4 th — 9 th) have reference to spiritual desolation: 1) Desolation here means either spiritual darkness or the inclination of the will towards the lower things, the things of earth, which render the soul sad, tepid, and sluggish. 2) In time of desolation we must not, in spite of the suggestions of the evil spirit, make any change whatever as to the good resolutions we have previously formed, but we must remain steadfast abiding by our former decisions. 3) Further, we must take advantage of desolation to grow in fervor, giving more time to prayer, examination of conscience and exercises of penance. 4) We must rely on divine help, which, though not felt, is none the less actually given us to aid our faculties in doing good. 5) We must be patient and await the return of consolation. We must say to ourselves that desolation may be a punishment for our lukewarmness; a trial, God wanting us to realize just what we are able to do when deprived of consolation; a lesson, God wanting to show us that of ourselves we are incapable of securing consolations, and thus to cure us of our pride. 956\. 4° The eleventh rule returns to the subject of consolations to warn us that we need muster courage if we are to acquit ourselves well during the time of desolation, and to remind us that we must humble ourselves at the sight of how little we can do when bereft of sensible comfort, and of how much we can do in spiritual distress if we lean upon God. 957\. 5° The last three rules (12 th — 14 th) explain and expose the ruses employed by the devil to seduce us: a) He acts like a mischievous woman, weak in the face of resistance, but fiery and cruel to those who yield; hence, the duty of vigorous resistance, b) He acts like a seducer, imposing silence upon the victim he allures to evil; hence, the best means of foiling him is to disclose all to the spiritual director. c) He follows the tactics of a commander, who attacks a garrison at its weakest point; hence, it is important that we watch that weak point in our examinations of conscience. ## Summary of the First Book The end at which beginners aim is the purification of the soul, so that unhampered by the remains and the occasions of sin they may effect their union with God. 958\. To attain this end, they have recourse to prayer. By offering God their religious homage, they move Him to pardon all their past offences. By invoking Him with confidence in union with the Incarnate Word, they obtain the grace of contrition and firm purpose of amendment which further cleanse their souls and preserve them from future falls. The attainment of these ends is the better ensured through the practice of meditation. The solid convictions which we acquire by long and serious reflection, the self-examinations which show us more clearly our miseries and our needs, the ardent prayers that spring then from the recesses of our heart, the good resolutions we form and which we strive to carry out, all this purifies the soul, inspires it with a horror for sin and its occasions, and strengthens it against temptation and makes it more generous in the practice of penance. 959\. Having a clearer conception of the offence offered God by sin and of the strict obligation of making atonement for it, the soul enters resolutely into the ways of penance. In union with Jesus, Who deigned to atone for us, the penitent harbors in his heart a sense of shame, of sorrow, of humiliation, and his sin is always a reproach before his face. With such sentiments, he yields himself to the hardships of penance, generously accepts the providential crosses which God sends him, undergoes some voluntary privations, practices almsgiving and thus atones for the past. In order to avoid sin in the future, he practices mortification, disciplining his interior and exterior senses, the mind, the will, in a word, all his faculties to bring them into subjection to God and to do nothing but in accordance with His holy will. No doubt, evil tendencies, the seven capital vices, still lurk deep within the soul; — but aided by divine grace, the soul undertakes to uproot them or at least to weaken them, and a time comes when it gains sufficient control over them. Temptations, at times terrible, arise from the soul’s lower depths stirred by the devil and the world, but the soul, leaning upon Him Who has overcome the world and the flesh, will fight from the outset and as long as necessary against these assaults of the enemy. With God’s grace these attacks will in most cases but give occasion to fresh victories. Should an unfortunate fall occur, the soul, humbled but trustful, will forthwith throw itself into the merciful arms of God to beg His forgiveness. A fall thus atoned for will not constitute an obstacle to spiritual progress. 960\. We must, however, add that the active purifications we have described in this first book do not suffice to render a soul perfectly pure. Therefore, this work of purification will continue through the illuminative way by means of the positive exercise of the moral and the theological virtues. It will not be thoroughly effected until the passive purifications, so well described by St. John of the Cross, supervene in the unitive way. These bestow on the soul the perfect purity of heart normally necessary to contemplation. Of them we shall treat in the third book. [[at-sl-fn-18|Fn: B1 Ch. V]] --- ![[maps/bibliography#^biblio-tan]] > [[at-sl-17|← B1 Ch. IV]] | [[at-spiritual-life-toc|TOC]] | [[at-sl-19|Book II →]]